Red Strings of Fate
by yorunaka-kun
Summary: P3P. AU. They were an uncanny match. She was far too young for him. He seemed  far too conventional for her. Neither of them felt ready to commit to anyone. Both thought that they'd be better off as friends. But fate seemed to have a scheme of her own.


**RED STRINGS OF FATE**_  
>By: Remoroid<em>**  
>Chapter I<strong>

* * *

><p>"Minako? Are you in there?" a faint voice called out from the opposite site of the door just as I was about to shrug off of the red halter dress that I was wearing that night.<p>

"I'm here," I mutter as ambled towards the door. Upon opening it, I shoot the person on the opposite side a small smile. "Come on in, Yukari. I can't stay for long though. I need to leave soon," I say as I glance at my wristwatch. 9:47. I still had a little over 12 hours to cram for my exam tomorrow before I leave for school in the morning.

"Oh," she merely said in reply before she began to scrunch her eyebrows. Seeing her troubled expression, I immediately smile apologetically before thinking of a way on how I should explain my situation to her. However, just as I was about to give my explanation, she talks once again.

"You can't leave though. You have a customer waiting for you."

I frown at that.

"I'm sorry. I really need to leave early today. I've got a major exam tomorrow morning and I haven't been able to study these past few days because of work," I explain apologetically. "Can't you guys handle this customer today? I promise that I'll try to make up for it some other time. I'll treat you dinner too," I add, hoping that the condition I laid out for her would suffice.

However, my answer only seemed to trouble her even more. "I would have done that if I could. I heard from Yoshino-san that you were supposed to leave early today but the customer refused to accept the company of anyone else and said that he was referred to you by Junpei."

"Junpei?" I asked in confusion. After all, Junpei had never referred anyone to me before.

Yukari nodded in affirmation. "Yup. He said that he's a colleague of his and his name is Akihiko Sanada. Does the name ring a bell, by any chance?"

At the mention of the name, realization finally dawned on me.

"Oh… OH. Yes. I know him. I mean, I don't know him personally but Junpei wanted to introduce me to him," I reply before sighing and tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "Man, that guy has a lousy timing, as always"

Yukari shot me an understanding look before grimacing "When did that guy ever have anything or do anything that isn't lousy?" she mumbled, causing me to grin.

"Hey. Give him a break. He's a good guy. I mean, he can be a perv but he's also pretty decent every now and then."

At that, Yukari grimaces yet again. "I can't help but doubt that. Besides, you're bound to be biased towards him since he's been stuck to you since you were kids."

"Mmmm. That's something that I can't really deny," I say with a light chuckle causing Yukari to smile as well.

"Anyway, are you going to meet Sanada-san? I can tell him that you left already if you're really busy. Although I'd have to say that you probably won't regret spending time with him. He's pretty hot. The others were actually crowding over him until he said that he was only interested in seeing you," she said while giving me a suggestive smile to which I only grinned at before taking a quick glance at myself in the mirror to see if I still looked presentable.

"I'll be there in a minute. I just need to fix my hair a little"

"I knew the 'hot' comment would work on you," she teased before entering the room as well. "Do you need any help?"

"I'm alright. You should go back though. There probably are some customers waiting for you."

Instead of nodding in agreement though, Yukari merely walked towards the stool in the room and sat there.

"Not really," she said, sounding rather tired. "Besides, I'm not quite in the mood to entertain anyone right now."

Upon hearing that, I flashed her a look of understanding before returning to the task I had at hand.

"Problems at home again?"

"Yeah," she answered rather noncommittally.

Finally finished with the task of fixing my hair, I turn towards her.

"I'm always here if you need me," I say as I pat her on the shoulder.

"I know," she says in reply before grinning once again. "Anyway, let's go and meet your prince charming, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Yukari was right. He is hot. Not to mention adorable too. From his body language alone, it was already apparent that the guy was not used to going to a place like this. He was fidgeting and was trying to focus his gaze solely on the table.<p>

"I told you that he's hot," Yukari teased from my right. Even without looking at her, I knew she was sporting a broad grin. "Anyway, aren't you going to go to him? He's been waiting for you for quite some time now."

"I'll do that in a sec. I just going to get a glass of water."

* * *

><p>By the time I managed to get to the table, the poor guy seemed to look even more unnerved than when I first saw him – causing me to feel guilty for making him wait for my arrival.<p>

"Good evening, Sanada-san" I greet gently, hoping that doing so would not cause him to become rattled.

True enough, the method worked and he looked at me with an expression that was less wary than what I had expected.

"Ah. G-good evening," he replied, immediately, catching me off-guard and making me wonder for a moment if he was the type of person who would greet others reflexively. However, I quickly snapped myself out of my reverie and sat beside him on the couch.

Knowing that he was probably confused by know, I turned to him once again, flashed him a smile and introduced myself.

"Sorry for the delay. I didn't know that you were going to arrive tonight, Sanada-san. Junpei never told me anything. I'm Minako Arisato, by the way," I say as I stretched out my arm towards him for a handshake.

He seemed surprised for a moment before he cautiously took my hand and shook it.

"Um…" he started off awkwardly, seemingly unsure of what he was supposed to do next. Noticing this, I decide to save him from embarrassment. After all, he had already gone through a rather difficult ordeal tonight.

"Care for some water?" I offered with a smile while gesturing to the tray that I had initially laid down on the small table in front of us.

"Ah. Yes. Thank you," he replied politely as he moved to reach out for a glass. However, I halt him with a slight tap on his arm.

"You can leave it to me. This is my job"

"But…" he began, seemingly wanting to contradict me. Before he could actually give his actual argument, I had already been able to pour a glass and hand it to him. At that, he only muttered a quiet 'thanks' before taking a sip.

"Um…" he begins awkwardly, seemingly uncertain of what to say to me.

Again, I couldn't help but find the guy before me adorable. It was apparent that he was really uncomfortable in the environment. Yet, he was acting so polite to me and was obviously trying his best not to act all jittery… even if that's exactly what he's doing right now.

With those thoughts, I could not help but let a small chuckle release from my mouth. This, in turn, seemed to startle him even more and caused him to stare at me with a perplexed expression.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, unsure of himself.

"Ah. I beg your pardon. I was just… thinking about a few things," I reply with a small smile which made him nod. "Anyway, do you want to go some place else?"

He looked at me again with confusion before flushing a deep shade of red and stuttering.

"I… umm… I. I mean… isn't it too soon?" he stammered, not daring to look at me "And aren't you Iori's…?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Junpei's a childhood friend," I began, confused at his expression. "And 'too soon?'" I mused.

Then, as the cogs on my brain turned, I flush a brilliant shade of red as well.

"Oh. OH. I-I didn't mean it like that." I stutter while burying my face in my hands to hide my shame. How stupid of me to suggest something so vague. "I meant some place to eat. It's late and you must be famished and sadly, this place isn't the right place for you to go to when you're in need of a decent meal."

Not to mention that you also look incredible uneasy staying here – I can't help but add in my head.

"O-Oh. I…" he flushed even more as he slapped a hand on his forehead. "Crap. I'm sorry. I thought… I'm sorry."

I can't help but grin at him. "It's fine," I say with a chuckle. "I should have chosen my words more carefully."

"No no. I shouldn't have jumped into conclusions myself. It's just that…" he said as he trailed off rather uncomfortably, leaving his statement hanging. He didn't have to say anything more though. I can completely understand his words. After all, the host profession tended to have a distasteful image attached to it. It paid really well though so I stuck with it despite that. I figured that as long as I knew that I wasn't violating any of my personal principles, it should be fine.

"Don't worry about it, Sanada-san." I grin, despite the fact that my mood has been soured by my most recent musings.

At that, Sanada-san flashed me a small smile of his own. It quickly disappears though and was replaced by a troubled expression once again.

"Iori told me that he already paid for tonight though. Would it really be alright if we left so soon?"

Now, it was again my turn to look perplexed. "Huh? Things don't work like that here. We don't charge you for anything unless you order something. That's why I suggested that we eat out. I mean, I'd be happy to treat you to dinner for all the trouble caused by Junpei but a single decent meal here costs around 2 days' worth of my average salary."

I could have sworn that he muttered somewhere along the lines of "Dammit Iori" but before I can ask him if he was alright, he spoke once again – this time looking concerned.

"Don't you need to stay here though? I mean, you must still have other people to um… entertain," he finished off sounding rather awkward once again.

"Ah no. Actually, I was supposed to leave early today. But as always, Junpei has bad timing,"

"Oh sorry," he said, looking genuinely apologetic. "If you're busy, we don't have to go out. You don't have to go out of your way for me. I really wouldn't want to be a bother."

I could not help but smile warmly at his genuine concern.

"Oh no. You aren't being a bother at all. I was supposed to grab a bite to eat anyway. I would actually love to have someone to eat with unless of course you have somewhere else you need to go, that is."

"Not at all, Minako-san. I mean, Arisato-san," he said, blushing once again after realizing that he was addressing me rather familiarly. "Besides, I can't leave a woman alone at this time of night."

How endearing.

"You can call me Minako. I don't mind," I reassure him before standing up. "Would you mind waiting for me outside at the entrance though? I need to shrug off of this. And we aren't allowed to walk here in our ordinary clothes for our own safety," I explain while gesturing to the dress I was wearing.

He shook his head. "Not at all. I'll wait for you there," he said with a smile, looking actually relieved.

"Okay," I say with a nod. "See you in a bit Sanada-san."

"Akihiko," he said, clearing his throat right after "J-just call me Akihiko."

I smile.

"Alright. See you later, Akihiko-san."

* * *

><p>On my way back to my cubicle, I wasn't able to get a hold of Yukari. Thinking that she probably was busy with a customer, I decide to just wait for tomorrow to talk to her and changed my clothes. Besides, she would never pass this kind of story up. That girl had a very avid interest on my non-existent love life, after all and had started the matchmaking business earlier than Junpei.<p>

As a matter of fact, before Akihiko-san, Junpei never made an effort to hook her up with a guy - always acting out the role of a protective older brother instead.

At some point, however, he started talking about an 'interesting' colleague of his - telling me random stuff about him. I could still remembet the first time he started talking about Akihiko-san.

* * *

><p><em>"Man, I'm beat," Junpei exclaimed immediately upon his arrival at Chagall Cafe.<em>

_I moved my gaze from the book I was reading towards him - appraising his appearance. He indeed looked exhausted. However, I couldn't help but still feel a bit annoyed at him for making me wait despite his pitiful appearance._

_"You're late," I said flatly, trying not to betray the annoyance I felt for waiting for him for over an hour "We promised to meet at four"_

_I glanced at my watch. It was already 5:39._

_He flashed me an apologetic look as he grabbed the chair in front of me and sat down._

_"Sorry, Minako," he began. I noticed that he didn't use Mina-tan or Mina-chi - a clear indicator that he was serious. "I got held up in the police office. Sanada-san killed me with his training," he finished of with a loud sigh and a plop on the table in front of us. I couldn't help but grin at his childishness._

_"Hey, show some delicacy, will you?" I tease, deciding to forgive him for now. "People are starting to stare at us. Wait. Scratch that. They're staring at _you_. Now keep your head up like a normal human."_

_"Aw. Mina-chi. That hurts. You're starting to sound like Yuka-tan now. I think you've been spending too much time with her recently," he whined without lifting his head, apparently aware that he wasn't in trouble for making me wait for him._

_I raise an eyebrow at him. "I've been with Yukari since high school."_

_"Precisely. Too much time," he says with a grin, lifting his head a little to look directly at my face. This, in turn, caused me to sigh in a strange mixture of exasperation and amusement - emotions I usually felt when I was around my childhood friend._

_"Anyway, who is this 'Sanada-san' and what did he do to put you in this condition?"_

_As if on cue, Junpei suddenly springs back to life and grins at me broadly. "I thought you'd never ask. You're interested in him, eh?" he teases with a wiggle of his eyebrows._

_I chuckle a little. "Please. I don't even know what the guy is like save for the fact that he's capable of reducing you to this state."_

_I pause a little._

_"Oh wait. That _is_ enough reason for him to like him a little. I should ask him for a tip or two just so I'd know what to do next time that you do something that grates on my nerves," I say with a grin._

_"Hey! I resent that."_

_My grin widens but I don't say anything else - expecting him to answer my former question. This time, it was Junpei who sighed._

_"He's new here in Port Island. He transferred this week and ever since then he's been asking us to do killer training in an almost daily basis. I was lucky in the past few days since I managed to sneak away from him but he caught me today. I told him that I had a previous appointment with you but he wouldn't listen and insisted that I need to do training regularly," he explained with a grimace, obviously reminiscing his experience with the mysterious Sanada-san._

_"Oh. What did he ask you to do then?" I ask with interest before taking a sip of my hazelnut coffee which had long been cold granted that I had ordered it upon my arrival._

_He eyed me warily. "I don't want to tell you. You're going to use the information against me," he mumbles while wrinkling his nose thus causing me to laugh._

_"Fine. I'm not going to ask further."_

_Them there was silence._

_"You sure gave up easily."_

_"Not really. It's just that I think I've figured out what he made you do," I say rather smugly, causing him to raise an eyebrow._

_"Oh really now?"_

_"Yup. He made you run and do push ups, didn't he? I'm actually a bit surprised that he didn't ask you to do sit ups too."_

_"H-how did you?" he sputtered in a mixture of shock and amazement._

_I pointed to my head. "Deduction," I say simply. "You were walking oddly and you've been flinching whenever you move your arms," I explain further when he flashed me a look that urged me to go on._

_He gawked at me for a moment as I take another sip of my cold coffee._

_"You sure you don't want to enter the police force too?"_

_I grin at him._

_"Definitely."_

* * *

><p>Ever since that occasion, Junpei started to talk about Akihiko-san whenever we met each other - talking about his trainings from hell, his uncanny aloofness towards women despite his 'dashing looks' (Junpei's own words), his irrationality for choosing Port Island, a place where nothing exciting ever happens over Tokyo, and the way that he always seems to approach everything with a calm and cool demeanor.<p>

At some point, he even suggested for the two of us to date each other. Feeling as if I already knew Akihiko-san even without personally meeting him, I immediately agreed albeit I said that without much seriousness. After all, Junpei wasn't the type to suggest that I date someone seriously. That type of thing was up Yukari's alley instead.

A few weeks later though, he said that he'd bring him to the club this month and I couldn't bring myself to back out since Junpei seemed ecstatic about the plan.

And now, here I am in Shirakawa Boulevard - wearing an oversized jacket, a plain shirt, and old jeans with my hair tucked tightly in my cap and staring at the poor guy as he was being surrounded by women from other clubs. If possible, he looked even more rattled than how he was inside the club.

"Hey there, handsome. Fancy seeing someone as good looking as you here all alone. Why don't you come with me to our club?" a busty blonde said as she sashayed towards Akihiko-san.

"Uh..." Akihiko-san started - explicity uncertain of how he should act. Now I was really certain that he had never been to this kind of place.

"Hey you're so unfair, Maya. I saw him first," another girl piped in - a petite Chinese woman.

"Finders keepres, Anna," the Maya-san aid smugly as she clung to Akihiko-san's arm causing Anna-san to pout.

"That's my point. I found him first."

I could not help but marvel a little at the scene before me. Akihiko-san just managed to attract Shirakawa boulevard's most famous hostesses without even making an effort. I blink and shake my head. This wasn't right time for me to marvel at his charm.

"S-sorry but I'm waiting for someone," he tried to explain even if the two women around him were already too busy squabbling with each other.

As if on cue, I cling to him on his other side.

"You're such a jerk, senpai. Here I was worrying about you yet you're too busy womanizing to care," I say in the most boyish voice I could muster, causing heads to turn in my direction.

"Oh so THAT'S your preference," Maya-san said with a frown as she let go of Akihiko-san's other arm. For one of the rare moments in my life, I felt grateful that I was blest with a chest that was almost as flat as a washboard "No wonder you didn't return our advances," she finished with a click of her tongue.

As she motioned for Anna-san to follow her, I could hear her mutter something along the lines of "Why are all the good guys gay?"

"Wait. Who?" Akihiko-san asked, looking at me with mixed wariness and perplexion. "Mina-"

Before he can even finish saying my name, I quickly shut his mouth with my hand before withdrawing it just as quickly to avoid suspicion in case either Maya-san or Anna-san decide to look back. "I'm hungry, senpai. Let's eat."

Then I tiptoe while using his shoulder as a support. "Just say okay, Akihiko-san and let me drag you so that we won't cause a commotion," I whisper to him while staring straight at his eyes, causing him to blush yet again and nod.

I release him and wait for him to give the okay. But when a few seconds pass without him saying a word, I merely sigh.

"Hey senpai. I'm hungry. Don't just stand there looking dazed"

"Ah, y-yes," he stammered.

Oh well. That's good enough, I guess. He really needs to brush up on his acting skills. He doesn't seem like the type who was gifted in acting but still.

* * *

><p>"Two specials please. Add in some appetizers too, mister," I order enthusiastically as soon as we got to Hagakure. I was starving.<p>

The old man in the counter then turned to me with a large grin that matched my own "Oh it's you again. You've been coming here pretty often as of late, haven't you, miss?"

"Why yes. I'm surprised you actually remember my face, mister. You must have at least hundreds of customers here everyday. Your ramen is really awesome, after all."

"How could I forget a pretty face such as yours? Also, if you throw in a bit more of flattery, I'll give your meal for free," the man said, his grin broadening even more, causing me to laugh. He reminds me of Junpei a little

"Well I've got plenty of it so if you do that, you're going to lose a lot of cash on me. I do eat a lot, after all,"

The old man's eyes twinkled with mirth. "I like you kid. I'm going to throwin the appetizers for free," he said, wiggling his eyebrows yet again.

"Oh I was only kidding. You don't have to do that, mister,"

"Psh. Nonsense, kid. I don't mind at all," he said, waving my refusal off. "Anyway, is he your boyfriend? I don't think I've ever sen you with him before," he asked in a teasing manner as he pointed to Akihiko-san, finally making me remember that I was with somebody else.

The insinuation that I was seeing someone as well as the fact that I almost forgot that I was with somebody else made me blush with embarrasment. Beside me, I can also see Akihiko-san blushing from the corner of my eyes

"Oh no, mister. He's a friend of a friend," I reply. The old man merely looks at me with a conspiratory grin, obviously having his mind made up regarding my affinity to Akihiko-san.

"Well if you say so. Anyway, I'll leave you two to chat on your own for now since I need to prepare your orders," he said while gesturing us to find some place to sit and wait. In return, I give him a quick thank you before doing what I was told.

As soon as we sat down, I shot Akihiko-san an apologetic look. "Sorry for earlier and for earlier," I say unintellegibly. When he shot me his usual look of confusion, I decided to elaborate things for him.

"I mean, sorry for being... all-touchy feely back in Shirakawa. I only did that so we can get out without a hitch. I was afraid that they'd end up feeling enmity against me and our club if they knew that I was the one ho stole them from you," I explain vaguely, remembering Yukari's warning about Maya-san's and Anna-san's possessiveness. "I'm also sorry for the incident at the counter. It must have made you feel awkward. In short, I'm asking for forgiveness for all the awkward situations I've managed to put you in in less than an hour," I finish with an apologetic chuckle.

"Oh you don't have to, really. I wasn't especially bothered by the things that have happened," he said with a chuckle of his own before scratching the back of his head. "It was actually nice," he continued, causing me to raise an eyebrow albeit in a teasing manner. When he saw this, the color of his face began to turn into a brilliant shade of red once again.

"I-I mean, I had fun. It's not like I wanted to t-take advantage of you or anything of that sort. I would never want to do that!" he explained rather defensively.

He was really adorable.

I laugh a little. "You don't have to be defensive, _senpai_," I tease. In response, he ended up flushing even more and spluttering.

Fortunately for him though, the old man from the counter arrived at our table, thus saving him from having to come up with a response to my quips. Upon seeing our expressions though, the old man eyed us rather suggestively although this time, he did not really comment on anything. That, however, caused Akihiko-san to feel more uncomfortable.

Maybe it wasn't too fortunate for him, after all.

As I stir the ramen with my chopsticks, I couldn't help but glance at the awkward man before me.

"Hey, aren't you eating?" I ask, feeling a tad bit guilty for making him squirm too much. My voice seemed to snap him out of his dazed state.

"Oh," he began. "Sorry. I spaced out for a bit. It's just that I realized that I haven't eaten in this place for a couple of years now."

That definitely piqued my interest. "Ah so you lived here before? Junpei told me that you were from Tokyo so I assumed that you lived there. Then again, I realize now that it would have been odd for you to transfer here in Port Island if you didn't have some kind of connection to this place."

"You're rather sharp, aren't you?" he begins with a compliment which made me smile in return. "But yes. I've lived here before. I transferred to Tokyo when I got a scholarship for college and since then, I haven't been able to come back here until my transfer."

I nod, thinking if I should continue asking questions but decided otherwise. Even if Akihiko-san appeared as if he didn't really mind it, I can tell that there were some things that he wasn't saying and I wouldn't want to pry deeper. He was entitled to his privacy, after all.

"How about you? Have you been here for a long time?"

I shake my head. "Not really. I've only been here for about five years. I've stayed in Inaba since childhood."

"Ah I see," he said with a nod of his head. I can tell that he too was being cautious about prying about my life.

Who wouldn't though? Technically, we had been complete strangers up until tonight. And despite the fact that we both seem to be at ease in each other's presence, it felt as if it was too bold for us to start poking our noses in each other's lives.

Nonetheless, the silence was a bit unnerving since it only seemed to serve as a reminder that we were both strangers up until this point so I talk once again.

"Anyway, you were pretty awesome, back then, Akihiko-san," I say while wiggling my eyebrows a little and flashing him a coy smile.

"What do you mean?" He asked, not getting what I was trying to hint at.

"I meant the incident at Shirakawa. That was pretty awesome. You managed to attract the top two hostesses in the area," I explained in a rather excited fashion.

As expected, he blushed a bit at my response. "Uh…" he began, not really knowing what to say, causing me to chuckle.

"You don't need to reply to that if it makes you uncomfortable, Akihiko-san. I was just amazed, really. I never saw those two go out of their way for someone. Or at least I've never heard stories about them doing so. I have never gone out of the club to look for customers myself"

"Ah is that so?"

I nod. "I'm just a part-timer so the manager doesn't require me to look for customers outside – which is really good for me since I'd rather not be pitted up against Shirakawa's more famous hostesses. They'd eat me alive," I say with a slight grimace.

"That's good. At least you don't have to force yourself doing something you don't really want," he said while starting to scratch the back of his neck – a habit that he seemed to do whenever he said something that was probably too embarrassing for him. "And… uh… it might not be good for you to stay out like that. Your job already seems dangerous the way it is now. I mean, I-I don't really frequent clubs and I don't mean to sound intrusive but I've worked on some really bad cases dealing with psychos who can't keep their hands to themselves," he said a bit awkwardly. The seriousness and concern was evident in his tone though despite the awkwardness and I can't help but smile at that.

"Thanks for the concern, Akihiko-san," I say while smiling brightly at him. "I am aware of those facts. As a matter of fact, I probably had been more wary of my job when I initially started. Although Junpei was probably worse. He was so close to locking me up in my apartment," I pause and chuckled a little after reminiscing my childhood friend's antics at that time. "Since that day though, I have been doing my best not to let anything bad happen to myself though. _This_ is actually part of that," I finish while pointing at my current get-up which made me look like a scrawny high school boy.

"Ah I see," Akihiko-san replied as he seemed to appraise my appearance. "You actually did a good job at that. But still. It's dangerous for you to be walking alone. Iori is careless for letting you fend for yourself."

I grin at him.

"Actually, I don't really go home alone unless I need to leave early. At times, Junpei does accompany us back to our apartment but most of the time, I go home with Yukari, another one of my friends."

"But two girls walking alone at night still seems dangerous," he says with a frown.

I wanted to go on a tirade on how Yukari and I were once school athletes – practicing archery and kendo respectively but figuring that that probably wouldn't appease a traditional guy like himself, I opt for a method that could change the focus of our discussion instead.

"Would you accompany us then, _senpai_?" I tease, causing him to choke a little on his water. Man, he was funny. "If you're there with us, then the problem will be solved," I suggest with a grin.

Of course, I wasn't really expecting him to say yes to the proposition. That's why I can say that I was a bit surprised by his reply

"W-What time do you normally leave?" he asks with a blush on his face, once again scratching the back of his neck.

I blush too.

"I-I was only kidding, Akihiko-san. I don't really want to be of trouble to you," I say with a wave of my hands, embarrassed that he took me seriously.

"I don't mind," he says, the tinge of pink still evident on his cheeks. "Besides, what kind of man would I be if I allow you to walk on your own after my own preaching about the dangers of women walking at night?"

"But-" I begin to argue but upon catching a glimpse at his resolve, I figured that I had already lost the argument so I sigh instead.

"Midnight."

"Huh?"

"Midnight," I repeat. "Yukari and I normally leave at midnight."

"Oh"

"Yeah."

Then there was awkward silence and the two of us were looking at anything but each other.

"L-Let's finish our ramen," I mutter, finally breaking the silence. "It's getting late."

"Y-Yeah."

* * *

><p>Yukari squealed. "So? What happened after that?"<p>

"He walked me back home, bid me goodnight, and left. After that, I crammed my brains out, went to school, answered my exam, and died"

I can feel a headache coming along. I had forgotten how bad these 'girl-to-girl talks' can be. And I had forgotten how persistent Yukari can be when it came to talking about romance. With males, of course. I doubt that she also swings towards females.

"How many times do you want me to repeat the story again?" I ask with a tired sigh as I rested my head on the table before me.

"But it's so," she began, Cue another squeal here. "It's so cute. You guys are really suited for each other."

I raise an eyebrow at that. Then again, this is better than her sulking. She still hadn't brought up the subject on her mother – seemingly too preoccupied with the thought of my non-existent love life to bring it up.

"I've only talked to him for a few hours, Ri-chan," I say with another sigh, opting to use the old nickname that I used to call Yukari by and which I still use every now and then – especially when she acted childish. Moments like these. "He was only being polite."

"No he wasn't. That was beyond politeness. He totally _digs_ you."

How many times must we go over this again?

"No he doesn't. He seemed like a protective older brother when he said that," I say, recalling the events at Hagakure. "And you're slowly turning into Junpei, you know?"

Yukari snorts at that.

"Stop trying to change the subject, Minako. And why are you so pessimistic about this? A really good looking guy has expressed an obvious interest in you yet you deny it," she chastises me with a click of her tongue. "Shouldn't you be the one who should see these things more clearly between both of us? You're the Psychology major, after all."

I give her a wry smile. "It's precisely because I can read him so well that I know he wouldn't really harbor an interest in me."

Yukari gave me 'the look' in return. I sigh again.

"Look. Let me explain. He probably does feel attracted to me. Trust me, I can tell as well but… I doubt he'd want to associate himself in a relationship that is beyond platonic once he knows how old I am. Judging from his looks, he's probably in his mid-twenties and guys like him who hold very traditional views do their best so as not to go against what society dictates as the norm. In short, no way will he date a 19-year-old college freshman such as myself. Me working in a club is probably already a lot for him to take but if you add in my age to the mix then…"

Yukari frowns.

"You really are pessimistic. Even if that is indeed the case, I don't doubt that you can charm him along the way. You just need more self confidence."

I don't reply but at the back of my head, I knew that Yukari had a point. More than the lack self confidence though, it was the fear of losing important people that was holding me back from doing anything else.

* * *

><p><em>END NOTES:<br>I… don't know how many times I made Akihiko blush in this fic. Right now, I actually can't help but think that it's all overkill but meh. He seems like the type who blushes easily when it comes to dealing with a girl that he's genuinely interested in (in a level that is above platonic)_

_More than these blushing incidents though, I'm more worried of this chapter's consistency. I can't help but feel unconfident regarding my characterization and whatnot. To be honest, I haven't even finished the game and that's the main reason why I feel wary about everything. orz _

_I think that I'm going to restart everything though. I'm pissed at myself for screwing Akihiko's . And to think that I already repeated it for screwing Shinji's the first time around. /headdesk_

_Anyway, in case you're confused, Minako in this fic is fond of Akihiko. Although at this point, it's as if she's more fond of _teasing_ him and watching his reactions rather than Akihiko himself (if that makes any sense). She doesn't harbor any deep feelings for him though and she has even convinced herself that she doesn't have a crush on him even if everything seems to prove otherwise._

_Rem/Lian_


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